Floral and hardy

In fact, when it comes to versatility, the Little Floral Dress is on a par with the Little Black Dress, and like the LBD, the exact same dress can be taken and styled to suit all ages and personalities, and occasions.

So first, take your dress. You might already have a favourite that you get out every summer, or you might want to invest in a new one – and if you do, now is the time, because this summer has been awash with lots of fabulous floral prints and now so many are in the sales, waiting to be picked up for a song, to have maybe a few outings until the end of summer, and then be packed away safely until ready to come out again next year.

It's best to go for a small to medium-size sprig, petal or leaf design in a maximum of three colours – navy, white and brown is versatile, as is red, blue and white.

As a general rule, remember that a dark background to the print is slimming, but light backgrounds generally look fresh and young. Petites should go for smaller prints, as they can look overwhelmed in large splashy floral designs.

Look for a dress that suits your shape. If you have a waist, choose a dress that highlights this (and even wear a big belt to focus even more). Draw the eye to the centre of the body by choosing button-through styles, and lengthen the neck with V-necks. Slender types might prefer a tunic style or shift dress.

For special occasions, smarten your dress with formal jacket and heels, perhaps bring a retro look with flower hair clips, slingbacks or neat pumps, and oversized beads. But it's even more fun to dress it down, with a soft leather jacket (some gorgeous ones coming out, in a variety of colours for autumn) and with chunky cuffed ankle boots (flat or with a medium heel) in brown or grey. Experiment with bangles and scarves, too, and with huge chandelier earrings. Most of all, make the look your own.